Former Prime Minister Gordon Brown has called for a cap on political donations, arguing that imbalances in campaign spending are becoming more pronounced. He highlighted recent donations to the Reform party as evidence of this trend.
Brown, who was Prime Minister from 2007 to 2010, noted that during the 2010 election, Labour spent £8m compared to the Conservatives' £17m. He stated that the current imbalances are likely to become even starker, pointing to recent donations to Reform, including those from crypto billionaires Ben Delo and Christopher Harborne, which he said are worth more than all donations to UK political parties combined in 2025.
A decade ago, only 1% of individuals and companies making political donations gave £1m or more. By 2024, this figure had risen to 35%. Brown suggested that spending more money in an election almost certainly leads to greater electoral success.
He recommended that reforms to election financing, including a donation cap, should be introduced into the representation of the people bill currently in the House of Lords. This proposal aligns with recommendations from the independent Hayden Phillips review in 2007 and the Committee on Standards in Public Life in 2011.
Nearly half of voters reportedly view a party more favourably if it introduces a limit on political donations. Other democracies, such as Canada, France, and Italy, already impose donation caps.